New superstore coming to Valley Retail Park

One of the UK’s biggest outdoor goods retailers is set to expand into Northern Ireland with the opening of a new store at Valley Retail Park.

Sheffield-based company Go Outdoors sells equipment and clothing for activities such as camping, walking, climbing, riding, fishing, skiing, running and cycling. It was founded in 1998 and currently employs around 2,000 staff.

The new branch will occupy the 45,000 sq/ft unit at the Church Road retail park that was recently vacated by furniture retailer Harvey Norman.

Andrew Playfer from AEW said: “The addition of Go Outdoors to Valley Retail Park is a key element of our strategy to reinvigorate the park following our purchase last year. We believe this will be the catalyst to further lettings and expect to be in a position to make other announcements during the course of the year.”

TDK Property Consultants, who acted on behalf of AEW to negotiate an early surrender of the Harvey Norman lease in order to facilitate Go Outdoors’ move to the park, say the deal represents “probably the largest retail letting in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.”

It’s not yet known how many new jobs will be created by the opening of the Go Outdoors outlet, or exactly when the store will open.